Two warming, hearty dishes with a mix of hot, nutty and sweet flavours, from The Kilted Chef, Craig Wilson of Eat On The Green.
As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, we’re all looking for some cosy comfort food to cheer us up.
My mushroom fricassee is a lovely, hearty dish which is perfect for a light Sunday brunch or a special Saturday night starter.
It’s a really versatile dish which would make a great canape on mini crispbreads.
The addition of sherry with the mushrooms and cream gives a lovely sweet and nutty flavour and combined with the whisky-infused Ardmore cheese, is a real treat for the tastebuds.
My second dish is a great way of raiding the store cupboard to create something delicious, mixing traditional ingredients with the sweet heat of the pepperdew chilli peppers.
I’ve also put a twist on a real Scottish favourite – stovies – creating a vegetarian version which makes a wonderful accompaniment to this dish or can be a great main course for those who don’t eat meat.
Mushroom fricassee on truffle toast with Cambus O’May Ardmore cheese
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 slices brioche bread
- Drizzle of truffle oil
- Splash of rapeseed oil
- 1 sprig flat leaf parsley
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 150g Shitake mushrooms
- 150g Portobello mushrooms
- ½ brown onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 small clove garlic (finely chopped)
- Pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 200ml double cream
- 60ml sherry
- 35g Cambus O’May Ardmore cheese infused with a nip of whisky
Method
- Take the brioche bread, add a drizzle of the truffle oil and sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt.
- Finely chop the herbs and put a small amount of the herbs on to each slice of bread, using a knife to press it down. In a hot pan add a splash of rapeseed oil, place the bread in and lightly toast on one side.
- For the mushroom fricassee, slice the onion and roughly chop the mushrooms.
Smash the garlic clove using the back of the knife and add some sea salt, then smooth down into a paste. - Add a splash of rapeseed oil to a pan, place in the mushrooms and onions with a pinch of sea salt and cook at a high heat for around 5 minutes, covering with foil to intensify the heat.
- Once the onions are golden brown, add the sherry and stir around.
- Add the garlic and a tablespoon of the chopped fresh herbs, pour in the double cream, season with a pinch of cracked black pepper and simmer for a further 3-5 minutes.
- Place the brioche bread on to a warm plate and pop under a hot grill, to lightly warm and toast the other side.
- Take the fricassee off the heat and serve on the toast, drizzle some more of the truffle oil around the plate and using a fine grater, grate the cheese on top.
Chilli Bovril beef with butternut squash
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 2 x 300g beef braising steak
- 1 carrot
- ½ stick of celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small brown onion
- 6 sweet pepperdew peppers
- 1 tbsp smoked tomato paste
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- Pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
- Splash of rapeseed oil
- 1 litre of boiling water
- 50g Bovril paste
For the stovies:
- Drizzle of rapeseed oil
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 large red rooster Turriff tattie
- 1 carrot
- 2 small brown onions
- 1 x 235g can of butter beans
- Knob of butter
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- Pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 170C Fan/190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Take the beef braising steak and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Add a splash of rapeseed oil to a pan and place on high heat, once the pan is hot place in the braising steak and sear for 30 seconds per side, to seal in all the flavours. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
- Half the carrot lengthways and place in an ovenproof dish, roughly chop the celery and the onion and place into the dish along with the bay leaves and the thyme.
- Place the braising steak on top of the vegetables and scatter in the pepperdew peppers, along with the smoked tomato paste.
- Pour a litre of boiling water into a jug and add the Bovril paste, stir until it is dissolved, then pour over the braising steak and vegetables. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 2½ hours.
- To make the stovies: cut the butternut squash in half down the middle. Scoop out the seeds. Take one half and place on a baking tray, score the flesh with a knife, drizzle with rapeseed oil and season with sea salt. Place in the oven at 185C fan for 40-45 minutes until it is soft and golden.
- In a pan of salted boiling water, add the chopped carrot, sweet potato and Turriff red rooster tattie. Take the other half of the butternut squash and remove the skin.
- Cut into larger chunks, as it takes less time to cook as the other vegetables and add to the pan. Place on the hob at a medium heat and boil for around 30 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, remove from the heat and drain.
- Take a frying pan and on a high heat, add the rapeseed oil. Slice the onions and place one piece in to check if the pan is hot enough, you should hear a sizzle.
- Add the onions to the pan along with a teaspoon of sea salt and the thyme. Cover with foil, this will intensify the heat and cook the onions down quickly.
- After around 2-3 minutes they should have a nice golden colour. Take the boiled vegetables, which should be lovely and soft, add a knob of butter and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Mix through to break down any large chunks.
- Drain the can of butter beans and add to the vegetables to warm through. Remove the larger pieces of thyme from the onions and then combine them with the vegetable mix.
- Once the beef is nice and tender, remove it from the oven and in a hot pan, pour in the beef along with the vegetables and all the stock to reduce down, at a high heat, for around 5 minutes.
- To serve: Place the braising steak on to a warm plate and arrange the vegetables and pepperdew peppers on top, pour over the reduced stock sauce.
- Remove the roasted butternut squash from the oven and put on a serving plate.
- Using a fork, fluff up the roasted squash and then spoon the carrot and butterbean stovies on top. Delicious!